This is not something you have to pre-select. The point is if you happen to only fly lots of short-hauls, then you are not discriminated against achieving elite status by virtue of not accumulating enough Status Miles. It is a balancing act that recognizes the fact that you still fly enough to be of value to AC. And often the wear and tear of such hops is far greater than the dude who spends 11-hours on a long haul every couple of months and achieves elite status based on miles flown.